Acetylenedicarboxylate as a linker in the engineering of coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks: challenges and potential

Despite its simplicity as a short and rod-like linear linker, acetylenedicarboxylate (ADC) has for a long time been somewhat overlooked in the engineering of coordination polymers (CPs) and especially in the construction of porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This situation seems to be stemming from the thermosensitivity of the free acid (H₂ADC) precursor and its dicarboxylate, which makes the synthesis of their CP- and MOF-derivatives, as well as the evacuation of guest molecules from their pores, challenging. However, an increasing number of publications dealing with the synthesis, structural characterization and properties of ADC-based CPs and MOFs, disclose ways to tackle this obstacle. In this regard, using mostly room temperature solution synthesis or mechanochemical synthesis, and very rarely solvothermal synthesis, the ADC linker has successfully been used to form one-, two-, and three-dimensional CPs with metal cations from almost all groups of the periodic table of the elements, whereby its carboxylate groups adopt mainly all types of known coordination modes. ADC-based CPs feature properties, including negative thermal expansion, formation of non-centrosymmetric networks, long-range magnetic ordering, and solid-state polymerization. The first ADC-based microporous MOFs were obtained with Ce(IV), Hf(IV) and Zr(IV), in which the presence of the -CC- triple-bond within their backbone results in high hydrophilicity, high CO₂ adsorption capacity and enthalpy, as well as the uptake of halogen vapors. This discloses the potential of ADC-MOFs for gas storage/separation and water adsorption-based applications. Furthermore, H₂ADC/ADC was discovered to undergo facile in situ hydrohalogenation to yield halogen-functionalized fumarate-based CPs/MOFs. This review surveys investigations on ADC-based coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks, and is intended to stimulate interest on this linker in chemists working in the fields of crystal chemistry or materials science.

Ladder-like [CrCu] coordination polymers containing unique bridging modes of [Cr(C2O4)3]3- and Cr2O72

Three heterometallic one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymers {A[CrCu₂(bpy)₂(C₂O₄)₄]·H₂O}_n [A = K⁺ (1) and NH₄⁺ (2); bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine] and [(Cr₂O₇)Cu₂(C₂O₄)(phen)₂]_n (3; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) with uncommon topology have been synthesized using a building block approach and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR and impedance spectroscopies, magnetization measurements, and DFT calculations. Due to the partial decomposition of the building block [Cr(C₂O₄)₃]^3-, all three compounds contain oxalate-bridged [Cu₂(L)₂(μ-C₂O₄)]²⁺ units [L = bpy (1 and 2) and phen (3)]. In compounds 1 and 2 these cations are mutually connected through oxalate groups from [Cr(C₂O₄)₃]^3-, thus forming ladder-like topologies. Unusually, three different bridging modes of the oxalate ligand are observed in these chains. In compound 3 copper(ii) ions from cationic units are bridged through the oxygen atoms of Cr₂O₇^2- anions in a novel ladder-like mode. Very strong antiferromagnetic coupling observed in all three compounds, determined from the magnetization measurements and confirmed by DFT calculations (J = -343, -371 and -340 cm^-1 for 1, 2 and 3, respectively), appears between two copper(ii) ions interacting through the oxalate bridge.

The influence of metal centres on the exchange interaction in heterometallic complexes with oxalate-bridged cations

The reaction of bis(phenanthroline)metal(ii) cations (M = Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺) with bis(oxalato)chromium(iii) anions in a water/ethanol solution gives rise to a series of compounds with oxalate-bridged cations, [{M(phen)₂}₂(μ-C₂O₄)][Cr(phen)(C₂O₄)₂]₂·4H₂O [Mn₂Cr₂ (1), Co₂Cr₂ (2), Ni₂Cr₂ (3), Cu₂Cr₂ (4) and Zn₂Cr₂ (5)]. Their structural analysis reveals that all the prepared compounds crystallize in the triclinic system, space group P1[combining macron], having similar unit cell parameters, molecular structures and crystal packing features. All metal centres in 1-5 are octahedrally coordinated: M²⁺ in homodinuclear cations are coordinated with two phen molecules and one bridging oxalate ligand; Cr³⁺ in anions is coordinated with one phen ligand and two bidentate oxalate groups. The copper atom in Cu₂Cr₂ (4) exhibits a Jahn-Teller-distorted octahedral coordination. Owing to the considerable number of pyridyl groups present in 1-5 (from phen ligands) the crystal packing of cations and anions is driven by stacking interactions appearing in offset-face-to-face (OFF) and edge-to-face (EF) orientations. The hydrogen bonds between the anions and water molecules of crystallization form 1D ladder-like motifs. In addition to the single crystal X-ray diffraction studies, the characterization of the new complexes was accomplished by means of IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy and magnetization measurements on a SQUID magnetometer. The temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility reveals different magnetic super exchange interactions taking place in homodinuclear oxalate-bridged cations depending on the transition metal centre (Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺). Oxalate ligands mediate the ferromagnetic coupling of Cu²⁺ metal cations in Cu₂Cr₂ (4), whereas in Mn₂Cr₂ (1), Co₂Cr₂ (2) and Ni₂Cr₂ (3), antiferromagnetic interactions are observed between Mn²⁺, Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ cations, respectively. Also, relatively large zero-field splitting parameters for Cr³⁺ ions (from mononuclear anions), D ≈ 1 cm^-1, were observed.

From mononuclear to linear one-dimensional coordination species of copper(ii)–chloranilate: design and characterization

A series of copper(ii) complexes with chloranilic acid with different topologies is prepared and a design strategy for the preparation of such complexes is discussed.

Spontaneous Magnetization in Homometallic μ6-Oxalate Coordination Polymers

The reaction of 1,2,4-triazole and NaF with M(ox) (M = transition-metal dication; ox = oxalate dianion) under hydrothermal conditions has led to the isolation of a variety of hybrid organic-inorganic coordination polymers. Four structurally different 3D networks were obtained, depending on the transition metal, with stoichiometry [M2(H2O)(μ2-ox)][M2(μ3-trz)6] [M = Fe (1), Co (2), Ni (3)], [Zn2(H2O)(μ3-trz)2(μ2-ox)] (4), [Mn3(μ3-trz)2(μ6-ox)(μ3-F)2] (5), and [Fe3(μ3-trz)2(μ6-ox)(μ2-F)2] (6). In all cases, the magnetic behavior is dominated by antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between paramagnetic centers. Remarkably, 5 and 6 present a novel magnetic connectivity around the oxalate anion: a μ6-bridging mode. This magnetic geometry promotes multiple triangular arrangements among antiferromagnetically coupled spin carriers, resulting in a complex magnetic network because of the presence of competing interactions. These materials exhibit spontaneous magnetization below 9 and 66 K, respectively.

Structure, EPR/ENDOR and DFT characterisation of a [Cu(II)(en)2](OTf)2 complex

The Jahn-Teller distorted Cu(II) complex [Cu(en)2](OTf)2 1 (en = 1,2-diaminoethane) has been reported and characterised using X-ray crystallography, EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. The solid state structure shows an intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen-bonded network via the N-H groups and the coordinated triflate anions. CW and pulsed EPR/ENDOR were used to determine the spin Hamiltonian parameters of the Cu(II) complex, which were in excellent agreement with the DFT. The structure of the complex, as determined by angular selective ENDOR, is also in good agreement with the crystal structure, confirming the axial coordination of the counter-ion(s) in the frozen solution. The small (14)N superhyperfine couplings are also consistent with the sp(3) hybridised nature of the coordinating nitrogens. These results show that the correlation between the (14)N hyperfine coupling and hybridisation of donor nitrogens can be useful to determine not only the coordination around the Cu(ii) metal centre but also the nature of the donor in unknown Cu(II) systems.

Synthesis, structural analysis, and magnetic properties of ethylmalonate-manganese(II) complexes

Five manganese(II) complexes of formulas [Mn(2)(Etmal)(2)(H(2)O)(2)(L)](n) (1-4) and {[Mn(Etmal)(2)(H(2)O)][Mn(H(2)O)(4)]}(n) (5) with H(2)Etmal = ethylmalonic acid (1-5) and L = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpa) (1), 4,4'-azobispyridine (azpy) (2), 4,4'-bipyridyl (4,4'-bpy) (3), and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpe) (4) were synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Their thermal behavior and variable-temperature magnetic properties were also investigated. The structure of the compounds 1-4 consists of corrugated layers of aquamanganese(II) units with intralayer carboxylate-ethylmalonate bridges in the anti-syn (equatorial-equatorial) coordination mode which are linked through bis-monodentate bpa (1), azpy (2), 4,4'-bpy (3), and bpe (4) ligands to build up a three-dimensional (3D) framework. The structure of compound 5 is made up by zigzag chains of manganese(II) ions with a regular alternation of [Mn(H(2)O)(4)](2+) and chiral (either Δ or λ enantiomeric forms) [Mn(Etmal)(2)(H(2)O)](2-) units within each chain. In contrast to the bidentate/bis-monodentate coordination mode of the Etmal ligand in 1-4, it adopts the bidentate/monodentate coordination mode in 5 with the bridging carboxylate-ethylmalonate also exhibiting the anti-syn conformation but connecting one equatorial and an axial position from adjacent metal centers. The manganese-manganese separation through the carboxylate-ethylmalonate bridge in 1-5 vary in the range 5.3167(4)-5.5336(7) Å. These values are much shorter than those across the extended bis-monodentate N-donors in 1-4 with longest/shortest values of 11.682(3) (3)/13.9745(9) Å (4). Compounds 1-5 exhibit an overall antiferromagnetic behavior, where the exchange pathway is provided by the carboxylate-ethylmalonate bridge. Monte Carlo simulations based on the classical spin approach (1-5) were used to successfully reproduce the magnetic data of 1-5.

Cobalt(ii)–(dpyo)–dicarboxylate networks: unique H-bonded assembly and rare bridging mode of dpyo in one of them [dpyo = 4,4′-dipyridyl N,N′-dioxide]

Polymeric networks, {[Co(dpyo)(ox)]}(n) (1), {[Co(dpyo)(fum)(H(2)O)(2)]}(n) (1) and {[Co(dpyo)(tp)(H(2)O)(2)] x [Co(H(2)O)(6)] x (tp) x (H(2)O)}(n) (3) [ox = oxalate dianion, fum = fumarate dianion, tp = terephthalate dianion and dpyo = 4,4'-dipyridyl N,N'-dioxide] have been synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The structural determination reveals 1 and 2 are covalent bonded 2D networks of 4,4 topology and of these, complex 2 undergoes a H-bonding scheme resulting in a 3D supramolecular architecture. Complex 3 is a 1D coordination polymer built up by almost collinear hexacoordinated Co(ii), doubly bridged by a tp carboxylate group and a dpyo oxygen, which in combination with lattice [Co(H(2)O)(6)](2+), tp and water molecules shows an unprecedented 3D supramolecular network through H-bonding. In the polymer the dpyo shows novel mu-4,4 bridging mode towards the cobalt ion. Low temperature magnetic interaction reveals antiferromagnetic coupling in all of the complexes.